The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-05-26
Special correspondence Of tie cold Leaf.
New YORK, May 20, 1873;

Special correspondence Of tie Cold Leaf.
New YORK, May 20, 1887.
Under the title of":Sea and Land, "
Mr.. ]. w. Buel has written a book
which has just been published by B. F.
| Johnson & Co., OF Richmond, Va.
AS | do not intend discussing the
merits of the work, | shall acquaint
the reader with the personality of its
author, with whom | had a pleasant
interview few days ago, while in St.
Louis. In the Office of the Historical
Publishing Co., on North Third street,
| encountered the famous author, who,
after making my object known, ex-
pressed a willingness to furnish me
any data may desire to learn. After
few moments Of general converse
ton, | asked Mr.. Buel for information,
how s'Sea and Land" came to be writ
, ten, and thus he responded:
"The book to which you have ref
erence mas engaged my time and at
tention for nearly sixteen months
four months in preparing the manu-
, script, and little over year in con-
sulting authorities and selecting the
information.
"The preparation of the work has
been peculiarly pleasant one,
prompted as it was by passionate
love for the wonderful in Nature, and
the valuable study it permitted in the
most fruitful fields of literature and
observation. Before commencing to
harvest in the field of Natures won
ders, or to CLEAN behind the reapers
who have preceded me in the unfold
ing Of the curiosities of sea and land
] had utterly failed to appreciate how
prodigal Nature is; how illimitable her
resources; how marvellous the diversity
of her creative power. AS proceeded,
gathering interesting facts, each new
wonder became the parent of a host
of rarer marvels until became fairly
bewildered by a sabaoth of natural
phenomena, and a multiplicity of ami
mate organisms of which | had before
formed no conception"
"Has anything come under your
personal observation?
"Though have been somewhat of
a traveller, my own observations find
place in comparatively few of its pages
having confined myself principally
to discoveries made by more noted IN
vestigators. In SO doing | have spared
nothing to become familiar with the
works of the greatest travellers and sci
entists, and to CLEAN from them their
most valuable and interesting revela-
tions, by which we are brought into
familiar acquaintanceship with every
portion of the globe, and the wonder
fully diversified vegetable and animal
life thereon. To attain this end more
perfectly, | have consulted more than
a thousand standard books Of Natural
History, and have carefully endeav-
ored to transfer the best thought of
each to this work.
"What is your method of writing? ?"
This depends upon the urgency of
my publishers entirely; usually, how
ever, | devote six hours each day to
writing, from 9 a. m. to 4 p. M, with
one hour rest at noon.'
"What other books have you writ
temp"
"To this | must reply that l am the
author of a good many ones. The
most successful are: "The Inside life
of Great City, reaching a circula-
ton of over 10000 copies; "Secrets of
the Great Whiskey Ring" sale 5o,-
900; Border Outlaws" $4,000;
"Heroes of the Palms." sales nearly
6oo,o 900; "Mysteries and Miseries of
American Great Cities" reached a
circulation of $1,000; "Russian Nj
hilism and Exile Life in Siberia" sale
5000; Biographies Of Blaine and
Logan" Campaign editions) 10000
volumes; ''The Worlds Wonders is
the most successful book written.
Though published in December, 1884,
it has jumped up to 1000; ''Sea and
Land" however, promises to reach a
sale equally as large, as according to
the reports of my publishers, a few
copies over $4,000 have been circu-
lated throughout the land. Besides
the several books just named, l have
written many smaller works, all of
which have been pronounced successes,
though sold through the trade
care you an author by profession ?"
"My profession was that of jour
nalist up to 1867, when accident
caused me to begin writing books,
since which time all the works l have
named to you have been written and
sold by subscription exclusively.
81 began life, SO to speak, publish
ing a country newspaper in Kansas, in
which, however, 1 signally failed.
was also failure as a politician, hav-